


Stay

by LFMH021



Series: Me and You [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: 'I can breathe again' will be the fluffy one, A lil KevinxNeil because I also kinda ship them but Andrew disapproves, After TKM, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Different POVs but mostly Andrew, F/M, Future Fic, Heavy Angst because I can, Jealous Andrew, M/M, Mentions of Other Minor Characters - Freeform, Protective Steve Rogers, Romance, Sorry it follows me everywhere I go, The baby Foxes here but only Jack has the biggest role because I still see him as a bastard asshole, Why does Neil always get hurt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 16:04:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8496481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LFMH021/pseuds/LFMH021
Summary: Most see Andrew as an apathetic monster who is heartless and someone who is only with Neil for hate-sex. But one word changed their opinions forever: ‘Stay.’In short: The Foxes’ impression of Andrew and Neil’s relationship. And on a Wednesday wherein Andrew visited Bee, Neil had a fight with Jack, and the freshman accidentally pushed him down the stairs.Its continuation is on my other one-shot ‘I can breathe again’.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Have fun with me in hell! 
> 
> I dunno. This just came into my mind and then my brain just wouldn't shut up, so here yah go.
> 
> I almost cried.
> 
> By the way, its' continuation is currently being written but its' entitled: 'I can breathe again.' Stay tuned!
> 
> Hope yah like it!

 

Dan had always wondered what kind of relationship Andrew and Neil had. Sure, the occurrence in Baltimore quite opened up their eyes a bit, but it never truly explained if the two were a ‘thing’ or if it was just a ‘fling,’ which sometimes people regard it to.

She even heard some people that the two just fuck for hate-sex, something that seemed to be in trend nowadays because very few people believe in true love.

She does. After all, she has met Matt Boyd, probably to most supportive and loving boy in the whole world. Not like she was gonna mention this in front of the others because Nicky might give her an earful, Katelyn might pout and protest, Allison might raise an eyebrow in challenge and perhaps even Andrew would glare at her in disagreement—after all, Neil was an angel who knew how to cuss and has such a sharp tongue for a nineteen year old and they considered him as their precious baby that needed protecting even if he was also so fucking dangerous.

Neil had argued that they shouldn’t call any of them ‘monster’ anymore because it wasn’t really funny, and they agreed although they still called them as such whenever they were sure Andrew’s lot was out of earshot.

She would confess: she never thought Andrew was good enough for Neil. Of course, the little scenes they had seen between the two were adorable and looked super sincere but sometimes, she just felt like Andrew was too apathetic for Neil, who had been into too much already. Andrew’s mouth was a gun. His words were bullets. And Neil was his usual target that’s why Dan was usually tense whenever the two interacted.

Just like now.

She passed the ball on the wall; Kevin ran and caught it before sprinting away from Aaron. He twisted his body and threw it with all he got towards Neil, who was as quick as a cheetah and caught it with no problem. Neil passed Nicky in a dash and threw the ball as swift as he could towards the goal. Andrew swivelled to his right and smashed the ball away from both strikers.

“What the fuck, Andrew? In a real game, you’re supposed to pass the ball back towards us!” Kevin yelled from where he halted.

“Neil hasn’t scored against me for the last twelve minutes, Day. What’s the point of passing it back to him when I will just smash it back because he couldn’t go pass my defences?” Andrew remarked.

“I am trying my best here!” Neil growled few meters away from the goalkeeper.

Andrew slung the racquet on his shoulder on a careless gesture. “Really? I cannot seem to feel the effort. Do you really think you’ll be an efficient captain in this case?”

Dan stiffened from where she stood. She was waiting for Neil to retort something back because Neil had the sharpest tongue among them after Andrew but surprisingly, he seemed to withhold himself and then turned back towards the locker room. She couldn’t see his expression, but his slumped shoulders were enough to fuel her anger.

“What the fuck, Andrew? Do you really need to be so harsh?” She yelled.

Andrew shrugged a shoulder. Kevin removed his helmet, rolled his eyes at Andrew before yelling, “Josten, come back here!” When Neil didn’t turn back, the other striker threw a glare at the goalkeeper and ran towards the locker room. Andrew removed his helmet as well, glared at the closed door and stalked towards where the two strikers had gone to.

Dan would never find out what ran in Andrew Minyard’s mind and if he really did love Neil.

 

Matt removed an earphone from his ear and watched from where he sat in the library. Andrew rarely came here, but he usually followed after Neil just like how Neil followed him everywhere.

Matt was pretty sure Andrew saw him, but he wasn’t certain if Neil did because after almost five minutes of sitting together on the same table, the two suddenly began arguing. Matt couldn’t hear them from where he sat but he could read Neil’s expression enough since they’d been roommates for almost a year.

Neil started the conversation even though Andrew looked like he wasn’t interested. Not unusual, really.

But then Andrew said almost just five words and Neil’s entire body turned rigid. He threw an irritated look at the goalkeeper and retorted something.

Andrew just raised an eyebrow. Neil returned his look with a glare.

Neil mussed his hair in annoyance when Andrew shrugged, stood up and stalked away towards the door. He seemed to finally feel Matt’s eyes on him because he raised his eyes and met Matt’s over few tables between them.

The poor striker seemed taken aback to find him there, because Matt was pretty sure that was vulnerability he saw on Neil’s expression before the auburn-head made gave him twitchy nod, a forced smile and then pretended on doing his school work even if his eyes kept looking at the door where Andrew walked out to.

Matt was dying to punch Andrew but he knew that Neil wouldn’t like him to fight Neil’s battles for him. Neil had showed that enough every moment he was in front of Riko when the bastard was still alive.

There were just times he wanted to say that Neil deserved better than this. Perhaps another guy who’d treat him better. He was even desperate enough to think that Kevin would fit Neil more.

He just never truly understood the standing between Neil and Andrew.

 

* * *

 

 

Allison wasn’t maternal in instinct. She was usually self-centered and vain. She knew this the moment she was born. But there was just something about Neil Josten that made her very protective over him. Indeed, they all had their issues, and Neil’s past shouldn’t make him special over others.

But he was a survivor. Years and year of running and he looked so shocked when people –especially Foxes—regard him as his friends or family. The concept of happiness was so foreign to him, he tried pushing the emotion away.

She was there when he returned from the Castle Evermore to protect them from Riko’s twisted way of being a King. She was there and helped him hide the scars because people would question him even if the first thing she wanted to do by then was yell that she was so proud of him and that she was so thankful he arrived in Palmetto State University because he was such a precious munchkin who probably didn’t need protecting but was their ‘baby’ that they would anyway.

Sure, she betted about Neil’s relationship and sexuality. She also betted that he and Andrew were together but sometimes she questioned her choice and their decision.

Andrew was a self-destructive, apathetic monster who must have had a terrible past but that didn’t mean he needed to be so fucking annoying and emotionless most of the time.

Seth would forever be one of Allison’s regrets. Seth would forever be missed. And yes, Andrew was the one who told her about Riko, and that she should be stronger than that. She appreciated that.

Yet she had chosen to adopt Neil. Adopt him as her little brother. Adopt him as the Foxes’ way to unite. Adopt him as her family. Adopt him as one of the people she would never let others take away.

That’s why she couldn’t help saying, “Is it that hard to show that you’re proud of him once in awhile?” when Andrew just watched silently as Neil completed another set of Raven drills using his left hand – his request since he wanted to try what Kevin was doing (being able to use both hands).

Andrew didn’t even raise his eyes at her. “I can’t seem to find a reason why I should do so.”

“He’s your fucking boyfriend, you asking me why?”

“He’s nothing to me.”

She was about to say something, but thought against it. Instead, she gritted her teeth and went out to the court because she just might punch Andrew with how sincere he sounded when he said Neil was nothing to him.

Neil’s eyes darted back towards the locker room where Andrew was still in. And Allison just couldn’t seem to ask him, “Why? Why him?”

 

* * *

 

 

Renee knew Andrew.

She knew he was lying when he said he hated Neil.

She knew he was lying when he said Neil was nothing to him.

But sometimes, despite knowing Andrew enough, she still felt a little hurt whenever Andrew seemed to control himself from acting out of what he really felt – love.

She clasped her hands together and watched quietly as Matt, Dan and Allison glare at Andrew whenever he said something harsh towards the auburn-head. She pursed her lips together when Neil tried to defend Andrew but the latter brush him off and acted like he didn’t care. She frowned sadly whenever Matt, Dan and Allison failed to see the way Andrew clutched his racquet tightly whenever some of the freshmen were being an asshole towards Neil.

She sighed when Andrew slammed Jack on the floor when Jack almost punched Neil over a remark he said which was just to counter what Jack started. She sighed not because Andrew was starting a fight again but because some saw Andrew as a destructive person when he was just, in fact, protective of someone he held dear – Neil.

She smiled sadly as Neil ushered Andrew away and hesitantly unclenched Andrew’s fists and talked him down with the gentleness only Neil could manage. She leaned against the wall as she watched Andrew relax and just stared at Neil as understanding passed between them.

How couldn’t the others see this?

 

* * *

 

 

Aaron hated Neil Josten. He wasn’t lying. He really did.

He knew that the others said Andrew was never good enough for Neil when in fact it was Neil who was not good enough for his twin brother.

But he’d never tell this to anyone to Katelyn, of course. He was burning with rage when Neil was always the reason why Andrew fought against Jack and other people.

It was always Neil Andrew listened to.

It was always Neil who Andrew trusted and let in when Aaron and Nicky had been with him for years now.

What was with Neil Josten that made Andrew interested with him? Why did his twin chose this kid who had so many issues over him? He wasn’t complaining. It just made him so curious.

Neil Josten was too full of lies. He was too scarred. He was too tainted. He was too self-destructive. He was too aggressive. He was too strong.

He was too much of everything, and Aaron hated him for it.

But he couldn’t seem to look away as he looked on the ajar door of the rooftop. He silently watched as Neil breathed out and slouched as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Andrew sat down beside him and took a drag of his cigarette before breathing out the smoke on Neil’s face. Neil laughed and waved the smoke away. Andrew hovered an arm around Neil’s side before asking, “Yes or no?”

Neil looked up at him and said, “Yes.”

With that, Aaron blinked in surprise as Andrew slid an arm around Neil’s waist and pulled him close to his side. Neil leaned against his twin before sighing.

“Your breath smells like garlic.”

“Blame Kevin.”

“Do you even brush your teeth?”

Neil shouted in an offended voice, “Of course I do!”

Aaron turned around and walked back to their dorm, chasing away the fact that he just saw his brother initiate a move when Andrew had always been twitchy and hated touches and affection.

It was just a year or more, what did Neil have that was slowly healing his twin?

 

* * *

 

 

The Foxes’ opinions changed a Wednesday when they heard loud yells outside of their rooms, noise of something falling down the stairs and then a scream.

 

* * *

 

Andrew had been gone for almost few hours already to visit Bee with Aaron. It had become their routine every Wednesday. Nicky was so happy with this little development and couldn’t seem to thank Neil enough. Kevin shrugged it off and said he was fine about it as long as the team would play nicely on the competition.

He was planning on roaming around the Perimeter Road, and was a step away from taking a step down the staircase when a hand grabbed his arm and stopped him.

He turned and found Jack seething with anger as he stared at Neil. Neil frowned and tried to pry his arm away but Jack held onto him tightly. “What do you want?” He snapped.

“Is it true you and the monster Minyard are seeing each other?”

“Well, duh, we see each other everyday. We live in the same dorm,” He sarcastically retorted which earned him a tighter grip. He grabbed Jack’s arm in return and squeezed. He smirked in satisfaction when Jack winced and finally released him.

“Fuck you. That wasn’t what I meant. I heard from Sheena that she saw you two kissing on the locker room right after practice. She said it was just chaste but she was pretty sure that was a kiss.”

He wasn’t particularly sure where this conversation was going. He knew what others said about his relationship Andrew; that it wasn’t healthy, that it was just for hate-sex even though they never even crossed that line yet.

But they weren’t also hiding their relationship. Andrew didn’t really like public display of affection but he wasn’t also covering the fact that he hated it when Neil was being flirted on and was being hurt. Neil had the same sentiment for Andrew. And that’s why he sometimes wondered why people thought it was nothing. Like, literally nothing—not Andrew’s definition of nothing.

He sighed and crossed his arms as he fully faced Jack. He frowned and growled, “Yes, we are seeing each other. Yes, we are together. Your point is?”

“You two are faggots? What the fuck?”

He gritted his teeth. “Watch your mouth, Jack. Stop being a homophobic asshole or I might just bench you for years. And I am not kidding. If you think you’re so important, I’ll gladly show you we can do it without you.”

Jack twisted in rage. “How did this team even survive? It’s filled with people who are too weird for their own good.”

“Don’t make me punch you again,” He hissed and clenched his fists. “Besides, I’m a demisexual. Not gay. Or are you fucking moronic to not know the difference? Want me to teach you sex ed?”

“Fuck you! Why Andrew, anyway? He’s an apathetic asshole of a monster who is heartless, soulless and has no—“

“He is not a monster! He is also not heartless, soulless and apathetic! Don’t say things about him when you don’t know a thing about him.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Why are you even defending him? Even the Ravens said that he’s worthle—“

“Continue that, you worthless piece of shit. Not because Coach recruited you, I’m going to tolerate you trash-talking the people I hold dear. Even Kevin is being slowly irritated by you. Not because you’re a striker like us, we’re going to accept your attitude problem. You’re worthless in a court even if you can score if you don’t know how to appreciate your teammates. You’re still a Freshman, and I’m trying my best to appreciate you but you can’t seem to even pass the level wherein I’d look at you and feel like there is nothing else I could do with you. You’re—“

“Enough!” Jack yelled in anger and shoved him with all he got.

Neil’s eyes widened, and he tried to grasp into anything to stop himself from falling but he has lost his footing. He was in the air with nothing to hold onto. He was in the air for few seconds and then he was rolling down concrete after concrete. He tried to stop, but he couldn’t feel his limbs. One, two, three…he has lost count and then he stopped on cold ground. He felt something hot and wet spread around his body, a scream and then voices. He fought with all he got to stay conscious even just until Andrew arrived.

_God, Andrew. I’m sorry…_

 

* * *

 

 

Katelyn hummed as she walked up the stairs of the Fox Tower towards the third floor. The girls Foxes were currently free and she was invited to play games with them and Nicky. She was also free so she agreed happily.

She stopped on the second floor when she heard voices from the third floor’s staircase. She couldn’t decipher the words but she was pretty sure there was an argument going on.

“Enough!” She heard someone shout and then her eyes widened when she heard thuds after thuds on the stairs as if there was something…or someone rolling down step after step.

And then Neil ended in front of her, limp, bloody and barely hanging into consciousness.

She screamed when blood seeped out of his body –his head, Oh my god, his head—and enveloped him.

In a matter of moments, the occupants of the Fox Tower went out of their rooms and looked outside to know what the ruckus was all about.

There were gasps, shouts and yells. Renee was suddenly in front of her. She took her few meters away from the scene and hugged her. Shushing her, and that was when she realized she was crying. Not out of trauma but because she was afraid. Afraid of what would happen to Neil. And Renee seemed to know, because she was also staring at Neil’s body with a frightened expression.

The Foxes’ Exy team went down the stairs.

Dan froze. “Fuck,” She took out her phone and quickly dialled 911.

“Oh my god! Neil!” Nicky screamed and knelt few feet away from Neil even if he was kneeling on Neil’s blood. Tears trickled down his cheeks.

Matt shook with rage and he grabbed Jack and punched him thrice. “FUCK YOU!” Dan grabbed him and took him away from the freshman just right after she made the call because she wouldn’t want Matt to kill Jack right at that moment.

Kevin gulped down his fear and called his father—Coach Wymack.

Allison ushered the other people away and took one of Neil’s hand. “Neil. Wake up. We need you to stay awake.”

Neil, ever the survivor, opened his eyes even if he seemed to be in so much pain. “I…can’t—It hurts…”

“You have to! Think of Andrew! Think of Andrew! Come on, keep yourself awake. Please, Neil,” Allison urged.

“…Andrew,” Neil repeated and shakily nodded.

Renee took her phone out and dialled Andrew’s number. She explained everything, pausing for Andrew’s reactions and replies, before cutting the call and begun praying beside Katelyn.

Katelyn watched helplessly on Renee’s arms as paramedics strode inside the Tower, they checked his condition, placed appropriate first-aid bandages, settled down a stretcher and carefully placed Neil on it.

 

* * *

 

 

Andrew was already done with his session with Bee when he received the call. He was just few minutes away from the Tower, buying junk food to piss Kevin off because he just wanted to. Aaron silently followed him around, still irritated with the argument they had inside Bee’s session.

He was just starting the engine when his phone rang wildly inside his pants’ pocket. He raised an eyebrow on the caller ID: Renee Walker.

At least it wasn’t Neil, he though dryly. Whenever Neil called, it always meant trouble.

He flipped open his phone and answered with a slow slur of the word, “Hello?”

Renee cut the chase and said breathlessly, “Neil fell down the stairs.”

His hand froze from where he was about to grab his pack of cigarette and lighter. “What?”

Aaron frowned and stared at him, trying to decipher what happened through his expression.

She knew him enough that he heard him clearly so she elaborated, “He and Jack seemed to had had an argument. We heard from our rooms and thought it was a common occurrence so we let them be. Until there were loud yells, and then there thuds as if something rolled down the stairs. And then a scream from Katelyn, since she coincidentally was going to visit. That was when we found Neil on the bottom of the stairs on the second floor, bleeding.”

He pressed his foot aggressively on the gas and drove like maniac back when he was still on drugs with the phone in between his cheek and shoulder. He maintained a calm tone despite his thundering heartbeat. “I’ll be there in few minutes,” He then hung up and swivelled the car to pass the slow ones before him. Aaron seemed to catch on with what happened and hung on to his dear life.

He honked almost ten cars to let him pass through. He wasn’t even in the mood to flip anyone who yelled at him.

Few minutes which felt like hundred of years later, he arrived infront of the Fox Tower. He didn’t even bother switching off the engine. He pushed open his door, slammed it shut with the windows open and didn’t look back to see if Aaron was following him; he didn’t care because all he saw was the ambulance right in front of the Fox Tower, and the paramedics who were carefully setting a stretcher inside the ambulance.

The Foxes, Wymack and Abby were all huddled around the vehicle, shaking with fear. Matt had a hand on the back of Jack’s collar. Anger radiated him.

He ran and ran and ran like his life depended on it. It probably did. Neil was on that stretcher. And Neil was nothing to him.

_Stop lying._

Neil was _nothing_ to him. It _didn’t_ matter if he lost him.

He arrived just when the stretcher was halfway inside. Panting, he shoved one paramedic away when she tried to stop him. Wymack talked to her, saying it was best if he was just given this leverage. He gingerly took one of Neil’s hands and looked at Neil’s bloodied face. “Neil,”

Neil, miraculously, was still hanging on a thin thread of consciousness. His eyes were closed but he replied weakly, “…’Drew?”

“I’m here,”

Neil tried to squeeze Andrew’s hand as reassurance but failed. “’Drew…” He cried.

Andrew couldn’t find the right words.

He always had the notion that he had no room for any emotions anymore.

He always believed that his heart had become empty, hollow and locked the moment he realized how cruel this world was along with the people in it.

As he stared at this half-lifeless body before him, he fathomed that he could still feel fear.

He was too afraid of what would happen to Neil to even think clearly. He was frightened as he tried to imagine a future wherein he was alone once again. He was shaking as he realized that in a matter of few minutes and hours, Neil could disappear and it was such a terrifying thought, his heart hammered even faster. The only word he could manage was, “Stay.” It meant: stay alive, stay strong, stay and survive, stay fighting…stay with me. Just like Neil’s ‘Thank you,’ he hoped Neil knew what he meant.

Neil smiled weakly before his hands grew limp and he slipped into unconsciousness.

 

The Foxes watched in tense silence as Andrew took hold of Neil’s hand with his own shaky ones.

Years and months of opinions shattered the moment they saw Andrew shake with fear as Neil cried his name. They clutched one another as Andrew muttered, “Stay,” which meant a lot of things between the two. It was just a word but their hearts clenched as Andrew watched in helpless silence as Neil’s hands grew limp. Wymack sat on the passenger seat and the doors of the ambulance closed.

Their impression of Andrew as an apathetic monster, who was also an asshole who had no heart and soul was erased the moment Andrew looked at his shaky hands – at Neil’s blood—and clenched it tightly as if he was clutching on the heat of Neil’s hand he just felt few moments ago.

Gritting his teeth, he composed his face and stormed towards the Maserati. Nicky, Aaron and Kevin followed after him. The upperclassmen went with Matt on his truck.

The freshmen and Katelyn –she was ushered back to the Vixens because they knew the best to make her calm down-- were left behind in the Tower.

 

* * *

 

The doors of the Emergency Room were closed the moment they arrived. Wymack was passing back and forth on the waiting area just right outside the said room. Abby sat on one of the benches with her hands covering her face. Her shoulders were shaking which meant she was sobbing.

Dan, Renee and Allison sat beside her and whispered words of comfort. Renee wrapped an arm around their nurse’s shoulder and squeezed as a sign of support.

Nicky, Aaron and Matt sat on the benches opposite the girls’ and waited in tense silence.

Not even ten minutes passed and the waiting area was filled with sobs.

Andrew was not really into dramas. In fact, he hated it when people cry before him. He hated seeing tears stream down people’s faces as if crying would change anything. He despised the sadness people felt when it wouldn’t help at all.

But as he stared at the bright red of the words: ‘Emergency Room,’ he realized how heartless he would have sounded if he ever voiced out his previous thoughts. Not that he cared what other people thought, but it was Neil inside. It was Neil who was fighting for his life.

Matt sat down beside Dan and hugged her tightly as she clutched his shirt and tried her best not to show weakness.

Abby was trembling terribly on Renee’s shoulder and the latter was doing her best to show comfort even if she was clutching the cross on her neck so tightly, Andrew was pretty sure it would break in few more minutes.

Allison clasped her hands together on top of her lap and tried to look tough even if it was probably difficult considering she just witnessed one death of someone she loves a year ago—Seth’s.

Nicky was wailing loudly, and he couldn’t seem to stop himself because he was trying so hard but failing miserably. After moments of loud wails, he hiccupped, “Neil...” over and over again like a prayer.

Aaron might be Andrew’s twin brother but he still hadn’t perfected his poker face. He was staring intently on the wall before him, shaking and white-faced.

Kevin gripped his hands together and faced the wall, whispering, “We couldn’t lose him. He’s a Fox. We won’t lose him.”

Wymack looked older. As if this had brought him few more years nearer to death. He was still pacing back and forth, jaw clenched, eyebrows furrowed. He seemed like he was ready to murder someone.

Speaking of murder…

“Who?” He hissed.

Nine pairs of eyes turned towards his direction.

“Tell me everything.” He snapped.

He had heard what he needed to hear from Renee but he made Matt and Kevin talk anyway. Jack. Jack. Jack.

He inserted his hands on his pants’ pockets and resisted his itch to grab his knives and push it into that freshman’s abdomen. “Once we arrive back in Tower, he’ll regret this.”

“Don’t kill him, Andrew,” Wymack warned.

He turned abruptly at their coach and regarded him with a cold gaze. “Would you still say the same if the doctors declare Neil dead?”

There was dead silence in the air.

“I thought so. Because if you answered ‘yes’ to that question of mine, I’d gladly burn my contract with this team,” He snarled and stalked off.

“For fuck’s sake—“ He heard Matt hiss.

“Leave him alone, Matt. We might not know how Andrew’s mind work but Neil’s condition weighs him down more we will ever know,” Renee muttered.

 

There was a playground few blocks away from the Hospital and he sat on one of the benches there. Unsurprisingly, it was empty and isolated. The kind of place he and Neil would hang out to.

He didn’t know how many hours he’d been here. He left his watch inside the Maserati. And he didn’t care. Time was nothing without a reason for it to tick.

He didn’t even bother lighting up his cigarettes, it just reminded him so much of Neil and what could possibly because as ‘was’ and moments that instead of being re-done today, tomorrow, in the future, they could all turn into some things of the ‘past.’

It hurt.

He hated the fact that it really hurt—looking at the pack of cigarettes, looking at the lighter, the Maserati parked from where he could still see it, the leaves that fell one after another…everything just reminded him of Neil and this became waiting become more painful.

Could he live in a world wherein Neil Abram Josten didn’t exist? Of course, he could. However, it wouldn’t be the same. He would go back to waking up just to bring himself a day closer to death.

And he didn’t want that anymore.

He used to not want anything.

Until Neil arrived in his life, and he wanted everything that could happen between them. He wanted the future that was possible with the striker by his side.

“Stay,” He whispered in the wind.

“Andrew,”

He blinked and turned his head to find Aaron standing few meters away from behind him. He raised an eyebrow.

“The operation is done.”

In a matter of milliseconds, he was up, running back to the Hospital.

“Andrew!”

Despite the urgency of the situation, he halted and turned to his twin. “What?”

Aaron seemed surprised that he was not ignored. “I…I’m sorry.”

It was an ‘I’m sorry’ for everything that has ever happened between them. And Aaron knew Andrew understood it.

He didn’t answer and resumed running.

Wymack looked at him once he arrived back, and nodded. “You go first, Room 202.”

Andrew didn’t waste his time and quickly sprinted up the stairs towards Neil’s room. Twisting the doorknob, he stepped inside and walked step after step towards Neil.

He looked at the wall clock placed inside the room. He had been sitting and waiting for almost five hours.

He had never been a gentle person, but he carefully lifted Neil’s hand and lifted it up towards his lips. Tenderly, he placed a kiss on where he could feel Neil’s pulse. “Wake up,”

As if hearing him, Neil opened his eyes, blinked thrice before looking at him. Despite the oxygen mask around his nose and mouth, he managed a weak smile and a sarcastic, “Hey,”

He was so ready to punch Neil.

But he settled with a lie: “What a waste of an opportunity. Why didn’t you just die?”

“It will take more than a flight of stairs to kill me,” Neil teased and then winced.

He stepped closer. “I fucking hate you.”

Those three words hung between them but they both knew they didn’t need to say them out loud. Their intertwined hands were enough.

 

 

To be continued in my other fluffy [promise!] one shot entitled: ‘I can breathe again,’ which is currently being written.

**Author's Note:**

> It hurt, didn't it?
> 
> More one-shots to come! I literally can't get over with this series so forgive me for flooding you with one-shots.
> 
> Anyway hope yah liked it! To be continued!


End file.
